Game apparatus for playing and recording successive plays in a game

ABSTRACT

This is a game apparatus for playing and recording successive plays in a game such as chess, checkers or like games. The squares or playing areas have vertical openings therethrough which receive the shanks of playing pieces. The pieces have identifying head portions larger than the openings in the gameboard, and a cover is slidable over the board and over the heads of the playing pieces. Identifying and recording indicia are provided on the bottom of the board and the bottom of the playing pieces. The bottom indicia of the playing pieces, when held in position by the cover, are in the same plane with the recording indicia on the bottom of the game-board whereby the board and pieces recording indicia may be pressed on an ink pad, and then pressed on a recording sheet, preferably a standard size postcard to record the position of the playing pieces on the board, which may then be mailed to a correspondent elsewhere for playing a game by correspondence. Inasmuch as the entire board and the positions of all the pieces are recorded or rubber stamped on a post card or other recording sheet, there is no language barrier between the players, and the game may be played by mail irrespective of the fact that neither player may be conversant with the language or even the alphabet of the other; each player need only be capable of addressing the post cards to the other, or each player preaddresses a supply of post cards to himself and mails them to the other. Thus, a player knowing only English may play with a player knowing only Japanese, or Chinese or Russian. In addition, a kit is provided for receiving and storing the game-board and the playing pieces, and has an ink pad for inking the board and pieces, a cover with storage space for post cards or other record sheets and rack compartments on each side of the ink pad and board storing compartment for storing the playing pieces that have been removed from the game-board.

United States Patent 1191 Brown Oct. 22, 1974 GAME APPARATUS FOR PLAYINGAND RECORDING SUCCESSIVE PLAYS IN A GAME Inventor: Paul Douglas Brown,1011 NE. 141st, North Miami, Fla. 33161 Filed: Sept. 4, 1973 Appl. N0.:394,219

US. Cl. 273/136 R, 273/137 R Int. Cl. A63f 3/02 Field of Search 273/136765,850 3/1934 France 273/136 E Primary Examiner-Delbert B. LoweAttorney, Agent, or FirmGustave Miller [57] ABSTRACT This is a gameapparatus for playing and recording successive plays in a game such aschess, checkers or like games. The squares or playing areas havevertical openings therethrough which receive the shanks of playingpieces. The pieces have identifying head portions larger than theopenings in the game-board, and a cover is slidable over the board andover the heads of the playing pieces. Identifying and recording indiciaare provided on the bottom of the board and the bottom of the playingpieces. The bottom indicia of the playing pieces, when held in positionby the cover, are in the same plane with the recording indicia on thebottom of the game-board whereby the board and pieces recording indiciamay be pressed on an ink pad, and then pressed on a recording sheet,preferably a standard size postcard to record the position of theplaying pieces on the. board, which may then be mailed to acorrespondent elsewhere for playing a game by correspondence.

himself and mails them to the other. Thus, a player knowing only Englishmay play with a player knowing only Japanese, or Chinese or Russian.

In addition, a kit is provided for receiving and storing the game-boardand the playing pieces, and has an ink pad for inking the board andpieces, a cover with storage space for post cards or other recordsheets'and rack compartments on each side of the ink pad and boardstoring compartment for storing the playing. pieces that have beenremoved from the game-board.

13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GAME APPARATUS FOR PLAYING AND RECORDINGSUCCESSIVE PLAYS IN A GAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to a playing and recording apparatus for games, particularly forrecording successive moves of the game pieces in games such as chess,checkers or other games having definitely movable pieces, by use of theplaying pieces during actual play. Chess, for instance, is aninternational game, often played by correspondence between players indifferent countries, using certain codes utilizing alphabet and numberindicia, indicating the moves. With this invention, no codes are needed,no understanding of any common code or even of any alphabet or numbersystem, and each player makes his move, then records a graphicillustration of the game board showing the actual move, preferably on astandard post card when the apparatus is made of appropriate size, or,if larger, on any recording sheet of paper, and mails the graphic recordto the correspondent player, who then makes his move on a similar gameapparatus and mails it to the first correspondent, both keeping-up thegame until it is finished. Any language barrier between the players isthus eliminated. No speciallydesigned record sheet. is

necessary; any piece of paper or post card is enough,

for the game board and game pieces act as a rubber stamp to completelyand graphically illustrate each move without any possibility ofmisunderstanding b the other player.

OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide agame appieces that can be readily identified and used in combinationwith the game-board both for playing and for printing the completegame-board and the positions of all pieces remaining on the game-boardat each move on any type of recording sheet, such as a standard postcard or any sheet of paper. A further object of this invention is toprovide a chess or checker game apparatus that may be used both forplaying the game and as a rubber stamp for graphically illustrating eachmove on any sheet of recording material between moves, with the recordedplays providing a complete record of the entire game.

Still a further object of this invention is toprovide a rubber stampgame apparatus that is particularly useful in playing the game bycorrespondence with another player located anywhere else, overcoming anylan- V guage barrier, completely eliminating the need for any knowledgeof any codification system or even of understanding the alphabet ornumber system of a foreign language to show each move in the game.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a game apparatusfor playing chess, checkers, etc. and for readily graphicallyillustrating each move, as on any convenient sheet of paper, or, whenmade in appropriate size, on a standard post card which may be mailed tothe correspondent playerin playing the game by correspondence with aplayer located in China. Japan. india or anywhere in the world withoutthe need ot any codification system whatsoever to make the game I Afurther object of this invention is to provide a kit including an inkpad, a game-board and set of pieces which is automatically set up as arubber stamp for use in graphically illustrating each move after it ismade, and wherein the kit is also provided with racks for holding thepieces removed from the game-board in the course of play, and evenprovides means for storing recording sheets such as paper or standardpost cards.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a game apparatusparticularly useful-in playing the game of chess internationally bycorrespondence with a player wherein each player may haveno knowledge ofthe writtenlanguage of the other player.

A further object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus kitwhich may be poeket size for use by a player anywhere, both in playingthe game and in studying the game and readily graphically recording thegame by merely rubber stamping or printing the result of each move,illustrating the entire board and the posi tion of each game piecethereon Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a gameapparatus kit wherein each playing area or square of the game-board hasan opening therethrough and has playing areas or game-board squaresidentifying, and recording contact indicia on the bottom thereof,

and each piece has a shank portion fitting through the openings, withidentifying and recording contact indicia on the bottom end of theshank, as well as an identi fying head portion larger than the shank andlimiting the movement of the shank down through the board opening justenough to place its contact indicia in thesame plane with the contactindicia of the game-board, in combination with a readily removablegame-board cover that, when in position, will hold the inserted piecesin the game-board with their contact indicia inover the latter patent inthat this invention is capable of printing and graphically illustratingindividual moves on any sheet of paper and does not use a preprintedrecord sheet. In appropriate size, it may be stampedon a standard postcard for use in playing the game by correspondence as well as forkeeping graphicrecord on any sheet of paper of each move for laterstudy, or for keeping records of plays in tournament games.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a.

oard using definitely movable game pieces, which may be made for chess,checkers, Parcheesi, Chinese checkers or any other such type of game.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game kit particularlyuseful to a reporter in recording each and every move in a chess,checker or other gameboard and definitely movable game piece type oftournament.

Baler DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES With the above and other relatedobjects in view, this invention consists in the details of constructionand combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from thefollowing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire game apparatus kit of thisinvention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing both the head portion and theindicia recording portion of one playing piece of one player.

FIG. 3 is a similar view of a similar playing piece of the other player.

FIG. 4 is a perspective top view, on a larger scale, of the game-board,some game pieces, and the cover for holding the pieces in the board inindicia inking and recording position.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective bottom view of the game-boardshowing the bottom recording indicia thereof.

FIG. 6 is a section on line 66 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION There is shown at 10 the game kitof this invention. It particularly is usefulin small size, as a pocketgameboard, as well as a playing board, and in addition useful forcorrespondence playing with another player located anywhere in theworld, as well as a reporting and recording kit for graphicallyrecording and reporting games in tournament play. The kit 10 consistsofa casing or chest 12 provided with .a cover l4 suitably hinged theretoat 16. Inside the cover, there is provided an inside cover 18 forretaining recording sheets 20 therein. In appropriate size, therecording sheets may be standard size post cards suitable for mailing.The chest or casing 12 is divided by two partitions 22 into threecompartments, the middle compartment 24 providing an ink pad compartmenthaving an ink pad 26 may be square, as shown, or circular, oval orotherwise, as desired. At the bottom of the board 28 there is providedcontact means providing playing areas identifying and recording indicia46 and 48, which, when pressed on the ink pad 26, will pick up stampingink, and when then pressed on a recording sheet 20, will graphicallyillustrate the top surface of the game-board 28 and the position of thepieces 30 therein.

Each game piece 30 is provided with a shank portion 50 and anidentifying head portion 52. The shank portion 50 is complementary insize and shape to the playing area vertical opening 44 and is providedat its bottom end with contact means providing identifying and recordingindicia 54 or 56 correspondto the indicia 58 or 60 on its head portion52. In the illustrated pieces. the identifying indicia representchessmen Black Castle and White Castle, and the other fifteen pieces-ofeach set will represent other conventional chessmen.

Because of the fact that the bottom of the board will generally havesome ink thereon, it is desirable to leave the game-board in the ink padcompartment 24 at all times except when pressing it on a recording sheetor post card to show the move that has been made. To facilitate theremovable of the transparent cover 32 while in the ink pad compartment24, a hinged front wall 62 is provided, hinged low enough to permit thecover 32 to slide thereover and high enough to keep the gameboard 28 inthe compartment 24 for moving the game pieces as desired. Then the cover32- is slid back into position holding the pieces 30 in place, whereuponthe cover 32 and game-board 28 are pressed down to ink the bottomindicia 46 and 48 of the board and the bottoms 54 and 56 of all gamepieces 30 therein. Then, the

Inasmuch as the last or sixteenth chessman piece need never be removedfrom the board, end compartment storage racks 66 may be provided withonly fifv teen openings 68 to receive removed game pieces 30 at thebottom thereof. It also serves for storing the game-board 28 with itsinserted game pieces30 and game piece retaining transparent cover 32slidably held thereon by cooperation of the gameboard side slots ortracks 34 and the inturned toes 36 of the cover legs 38.

Chinese checkers areillustrative of other game-board games that may bemade up according to this invention. Any game with definitely movablegamepieces may be made up and played according to this invention.

Each playing area or square 40 and 42 is provided with a verticalopening 44 therethro u gh, which opening therein, as when the game ischess. With other games, using more than sixteen pieces, the racks 66will have an appropriate number, of openings 68, the pieces 30 beingheld in place in the rack openings 68 by the inside cover. In this case,eighteen openings are shown.

female snap fasteners 72 on the front of the chest- 12 and 74 ondepending fingers 76 on the outside of ledge are provided for retainingthe cover 14in closed position with the assembled game-board and piecestherein.

OPERATION OF THE INVENTION The kit chest 12 is preferably of a size tocontain standard size post cards 20 inside the cover 18 of chest cover14, and the board is of a-size to graphically print the entire board andassembled pieces 30 on a postcard 20, and thus is of a size that may bereadily carried in ones pocket or handbag. Y

The kit may be used for playing with correspondents elsewhere. in suchcase, each player correspondent will have and use a completekit such inthis invention. Each may have a number of post cards preaddressed to theother player. Then, each plays in turn, sliding off the cover 32 so hecan move his piece, then presses the game board 28 and pieces 30 intothe ink pad, then lifts the assembly out and stamps the post card andmails it, and possibly stamps another sheet of paper or page of anotebook to keep a record of his own play. The recipient of the cardsets up his pieces to correspond to the card, records it, then makes hisplay and records it on a card to mail back to the first player, and thisgoes on until the game is completed. It is immaterial whether eitherplayer can understand-the language of theother, or even the alphabet ornumber system of the other; there is no language barrier when playingthe game by mail with the kit 10 of this invention.

This kit 10 may also be used in reporting tournament games. In suchcase, the reporter setsup his board 28 and pieces 30, the same as thetournament players, and records each successive play on any suitablesheet of paper and thus has a graphic illustration of each and I everyplay of the tournament game. Being small In addition to eliminating theneed for a code system in playing by mail, it eliminates the mentaleffort of converting the move into the code, and then reconverting thecode into the move, all-with the attendant possibility of error.

ABSTRACT OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, like numbers refer to likeparts, and for purposes of explication, marshalled below are thenumbered parts of the improved Game Apparatus for Playing and RecordingSuccessive Plays in a Game.

10 game kit of this invention 12 chest or casing 14 cover 16 hinges 18inside .cover 20 post cards or recording sheets 22 compartmentpartitions 24 middle ink pad compartment also providing storage forassembled game-board 26 ink pad 28 game-board 30 game pieces 32transparent retaining cover 34 board side tracks 36 inturned toes oflegs38 38 cover legs 40. board black squares 42 white squares 44 playingarea vertical opening 46 black square contact recording indicia at thebottom of board 28 a I 48 white square recording indicia 50 shankportion of a game piece 52 head portion 54 and 56 identifying recordingindicia on the bottom 1 of the shanks 58 and 60 identifying display onhead portions 62 hinged front wall 64 upstanding finger to hold wall 62in closed position 66 game piece racks and floors in'end compartmentsHaving thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

1. A game apparatus for playing and recording successive plays in a gamecomprising, in combination:

a. a game-board (28) having playing areas (40 & 42)

marked thereon,

b. said game-board including contact means (46 & I

48) providing game-board playing areas identifying and recording indicialocated on the bottom thereof,

c. a vertical opening (44) located in each playing areafor receiving aplaying piece (30),-

d. playing pieces (30) each having an identifying head portion (52)disposed above the game-board and reduced shank means (50) to extenddown through one of said vertical openings (44), each said verticalopening having a diameter smaller than said identifying head portion(52),

e. said shank means (50) including a contact means (54 &'56) providingidentifyingand recording cia located on thebottom thereof,

f. cover means (32) removably mounted (34, 36) on said board (28) tohold said playing pieces (30) in their lowermost position with theirrecording indicia (54, 56) and said game-board recording indicia (46,48) in the same plane permitting said gameboard recording indicia andsaid pieces recording indicia (54, 56) to simultaneously engage with anink pad means (26) or a recording sheet (20).

2. The game apparatus of claim 1, 'said game-board recording indicia (46& 48) being of a size to record on a standard post card (20).

, 3. The game apparatus of claim 1, each playing area being in the formof a square (42, 44) of'a chess board 4. The game apparatus ofclaim 1,comprising a slot (34) on each of two opposite sides of said game-board(28) and said game-board cover (32) having depending legs (38) andinturned toes (3 6) slidably engaging in said two slots (34) to holdsaid cover (32) over said game piece head portions (52), said legs (38)and toes (36) being of a height to hold said cover just over said gamepiece head portions (52) of game pieces (30) inserted through saidopenings (44) to maintain said game pieces recording indicia (54, 56);in the same plane with said game-board'recordingindicia (46,48).

indiing kit 10, said kit comprising an ink pad (26) compartment (24) forreceiving or storing said game-board (28) therein, and game piece (30)storing compartment means (66, 68) therein.

7. The game apparatus of claim 6, said game piece storing compartmentmeans having rack floor means (66) provided with openings (68)therethrough of a size to receive said game piece shanks (50)therethrough with said head portions (52) resting on said floor means(66).

8. The game apparatus of claim 7, and a cover (14) closeable on said kit(10), said cover (14) having recording sheet storing means (18)therewith.

9. The game apparatus ofclaim 8, and standard post cards (20) storingsaid cover (14), said game-board recording indicia (46, 48) being of asize to record on a standard post card. 7

10. The game apparatus of claim 6, said ink pad com- 8 partment (24)having side walls (22) stopping at said game piece storing compartmentfloor means (66), permitting said covered game-board (28) to be readilymanually grasped. 7

11. The game apparatus of claim 10, said ink pad compartment (24) havinga hinged front wall (62) permitting said cover means (32) to be removedfrom said game-board (28) for providing access to the game pieces (30)in said board (28) while in said ink pad storing compartment (24).

12. The game apparatus of claim 11, means (64) on said hinged front wall(62) cooperating with said hinged cover (14) for holding said hingedfrontwall (62) in kit (10) closing position while said' kit cover (14)is down in covering position, and means (72, 74, 76) for releasablyretaining said kit cover in closed position.

13. The game apparatus of claim 12, and an inside cover (18) on saidcover, said inside cover (18) providing a recording sheet storing meansand also providing means retaining said pieces (30) in said rack flooropenings (68).

1. A game apparatus for playing and recording successive plays in a gamecomprising, in combination: a. a game-board (28) having playing areas(40 & 42) marked thereon, b. said game-board including contact means (46& 48) providing game-board playing areas identifying and recordingindicia located on the bottom thereof, c. a vertical opening (44)located in each playing area for receiving a playing piece (30), d.playing pieces (30) each having an identifying head portion (52)disposed above the game-board and reduced shank means (50) to extenddown through one of said vertical openings (44), each said verticalopening having a diameter smaller than said identifying head portion(52), e. said shank means (50) including a contact means (54 & 56)providing idEntifying and recording indicia located on the bottomthereof, f. cover means (32) removably mounted (34, 36) on said board(28) to hold said playing pieces (30) in their lowermost position withtheir recording indicia (54, 56) and said gameboard recording indicia(46, 48) in the same plane permitting said game-board recording indiciaand said pieces recording indicia (54, 56) to simultaneously engage withan ink pad means (26) or a recording sheet (20).
 2. The game apparatusof claim 1, said game-board recording indicia (46 & 48) being of a sizeto record on a standard post card (20).
 3. The game apparatus of claim1, each playing area being in the form of a square (42, 44) of a chessboard (28).
 4. The game apparatus of claim 1, comprising a slot (34) oneach of two opposite sides of said game-board (28) and said game-boardcover (32) having depending legs (38) and inturned toes (36) slidablyengaging in said two slots (34) to hold said cover (32) over said gamepiece head portions (52), said legs (38) and toes (36) being of a heightto hold said cover just over said game piece head portions (52) of gamepieces (30) inserted through said openings (44) to maintain said gamepieces recording indicia (54, 56) in the same plane with said game-boardrecording indicia (46, 48).
 5. The game apparatus of claim 4, said cover(34) being of transparent material permitting said game pieceidentifying heads (52) and said game-board squares (46 & 48) to bevisible therethrough.
 6. The game apparatus of claim 1, including acarrying kit 10, said kit comprising an ink pad (26) compartment (24)for receiving or storing said game-board (28) therein, and game piece(30) storing compartment means (66, 68) therein.
 7. The game apparatusof claim 6, said game piece storing compartment means having rack floormeans (66) provided with openings (68) therethrough of a size to receivesaid game piece shanks (50) therethrough with said head portions (52)resting on said floor means (66).
 8. The game apparatus of claim 7, anda cover (14) closeable on said kit (10), said cover (14) havingrecording sheet (20) storing means (18) therewith.
 9. The game apparatusof claim 8, and standard post cards (20) storing said cover (14), saidgame-board recording indicia (46, 48) being of a size to record on astandard post card.
 10. The game apparatus of claim 6, said ink padcompartment (24) having side walls (22) stopping at said game piecestoring compartment floor means (66), permitting said covered game-board(28) to be readily manually grasped.
 11. The game apparatus of claim 10,said ink pad compartment (24) having a hinged front wall (62) permittingsaid cover means (32) to be removed from said game-board (28) forproviding access to the game pieces (30) in said board (28) while insaid ink pad storing compartment (24).
 12. The game apparatus of claim11, means (64) on said hinged front wall (62) cooperating with saidhinged cover (14) for holding said hinged front wall (62) in kit (10)closing position while said kit cover (14) is down in covering position,and means (72, 74, 76) for releasably retaining said kit cover in closedposition.
 13. The game apparatus of claim 12, and an inside cover (18)on said cover, said inside cover (18) providing a recording sheetstoring means and also providing means retaining said pieces (30) insaid rack floor openings (68).